Hamburg, Germany: Jungheinrich has become the first forklift manufacturer to launch a lithium-ion powered truck – the EJE 112i.
According to Jungheinrich, lithium-Ion technology offers significant environmental and productivity benefits over traditional lead acid batteries.
Charging is quick and simple – it takes just 30 minutes to deliver a 50 per cent charge and the battery is fully charged within 80 minutes. The short charging times enable more flexible truck use and ‘opportunity charging’ – something that will be particularly welcome at sites running multiple shifts.
A single charge is sufficient to power the truck through a typical eight-hour shift and, importantly, when it comes to recharging, a dedicated charging bay is not required.
The length of the EJE 112i is 425mm, which is over 70mm less than a comparable model with a similar capacity powered by traditional lead acid technology.
The truck weighs notably less too. The combined weight of the EJE 112i and its lithium ion battery is just 289kg – some 30 per cent less than the weight of a lead acid powered model of the same load capacity. The lightness of the new model makes it particularly suitable for loading and unloading lorries with taillifts.
“We believe that our new lithium-ion powered EJE 112i represents a step change in forklift truck design,” says Bill Goodwin, sales director of Jungheinrich UK.
“We have been researching alternative fuels for a long time and believe that with its rapid charging, long running times and compact truck dimensions our lithium ion powered pallet truck will be welcomed by truck users in all sectors and of all sizes.”
• Export growth is boosting demand for UK forklifts, according to a new survey produced by Oxford Economics for the British Industrial Truck Association. Tim Waples, president of BITA, said: “The balance has tipped in favour of the UK forklift truck market. 2010 orders rose by 23.9 per cent and this year’s first quarter is up 27.7 per cent year on year. 2011 could yet beat previous expectations as stronger manufacturing output stimulates investment spending, generating orders for the forklift trucks that will be required to move merchandise.”
